Scott No: 3053-54
Serial number: 2000-19
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: October 9, 2000
Designers: Yang Bingwu, Lusciyanailata (Brazil)
Size of stamp: 40*30 mm
Size of Sheetlet: 146*213 mm
Perforation: 12
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The special stamp set Puppets and Masks (Jointly Issued by China and Brazil) was issued on October 9, 2000. It consists of two stamps with a total face value of 1.60 yuan. It was jointly designed by Yan Bingwu of China and Luciana Irata of Brazil and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using the photogravure process. This is a special stamp set jointly issued by the postal services of China and Brazil. It features representative traditional folk art figures from both countries, using puppets and masks as cultural carriers to showcase the distinctive folk performance arts of the East and West and bear witness to the friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and Brazil.

China and Brazil are far apart and have each nurtured folk performance arts of very different styles. Quanzhou marionettes in China have a long history and are a treasure of traditional Chinese opera performance. Brazilian carnival masks are an iconic symbol of South American festival culture. The stamp set features the Sun Wukong image from Chinese marionettes and a Brazilian carnival mask, condensing the folk stage arts of both countries into stamps. It presents a comparative view of the unique charm of folk art in two different civilizations, using cultural symbols to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Puppet

The main image is a Quanzhou marionette of Sun Wukong. The puppet's face is brightly colored, and the strings are clearly visible. In the background, other puppet opera characters are faintly set off. Quanzhou marionettes, anciently known as "suspended silk puppets," have a history of more than eight hundred years and are a national intangible cultural heritage. They are manipulated by silk strings to perform various movements. Sun Wukong is a classic puppet opera repertoire, representing China's ancient puppet performance art.

Mask

The main image is a distinctive Brazilian carnival mask. The mask has an exaggerated shape, with intense red hair and bold, passionate colors. The background depicts figures singing and dancing in a carnival parade. Carnival is Brazil's grandest folk festival. People wear masks of rich and varied designs to participate in street parades. Mask art is full of the passionate and unrestrained South American flavor and is a typical representative of Brazilian folk culture.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a decorative painting style. The figures are concise and vivid, with rich and vivid colors. The photogravure printing provides delicate layers and full color reproduction. The two stamps contrast stillness and exuberance: one Eastern puppet and one South American festival mask. The two folk arts are set against each other. The compositions are simple, highlighting the folk images themselves. It brings together the traditional folk performance arts of both countries in one stamp set, making it a representative work in the category of jointly issued folk-themed stamps between China and other countries.